Chapter 11: Me Tar'zan, you hang on!
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." – Charles Darwin
Duncan watched as the Healer finished his scans and left the room, his heavy thudding footsteps making no effort to quiet themselves. She had been amazed when she first watched the cloaked Hunters while she stood near her patrol car and had heard no footsteps to go with their invisible shimmer of movement. She was now left wondering, in spite of her fear, how such large creatures could be so stealthy.
She had known immediately what the blurry reflections were as they carried the captured woman away. Yet her commitment to serve and protect constrained her to stop the vehicle and try to save the citizen that was being kidnapped. She had radioed for backup but there was no time to wait for it to arrive. Her conscience would not allow her to merely sit and watch another person in danger. So bravely, or stupidly, she left her car, drew her weapon and ran toward the glimmer of reflections.
When the leader had uncloaked to face her, a decisive survival instinct within her psyche had known what to do. There was no question that she would not fight him. Death by Hunter was not her chosen destiny, so she dropped the sidearm and did what she could short of ripping off her shirt to demonstrate that she was female. In fact, she would have sacrificed the dignity of her top if he had still seemed indecisive.
She had been badly frightened, but knew that his kind would show no mercy to fear. She also knew, as he carried her away, that her womb was the only thing that had prevented her death. She prayed that she had made the right decision in choosing to survive. The Hunter's weapon would have at least been quick.
The officer assumed that the craft had taken off, as she had awakened to the crush of acceleration as it pressed her into the cold smooth surface she was laying on. Several women shrieked in fear as the gravity force continued to mount. Then suddenly it was over, and the large doctor-type examining them was resuming his business. The officer hoped that whatever he had been checking for had resulted in a positive report for their future. No telling what would happen if the medical guy decided that one of them was undesirable.
A few sobs from the other women could be heard. She'd better speak now while he was gone, for it might not be long before one of them came back. She mustered her voice, "Listen! You need to be calm. No crying! These aliens respect strength not weakness. Stay strong and do not let them see you afraid! Do what I say and you will live through this!"
Just as the last word was leaving her lips, she began to hear the thumps of many footsteps outside the room. The many feet came clumping along much more quickly than the one who had just left them. They were coming and from the commotion the officer began to worry just how many there were. They were almost here and Duncan had a fair idea of what they were going to do. One-on-one she might survive, but a gang bang?
The band holding her neck to the hard metal beneath her was so tight that when she swallowed she felt the movement of her throat press against it. She fought her imagination when it told her that the noose was tightening. If it were getting tighter I wouldn't be able to swallow. Steady Duncan, don't lose it. You will survive this. You will do what is necessary to live. The others are looking to you to set the example. She fought the fear, remembering something from a story she once read, 'Fear is the mind-killer." Sour bile came up her throat and she choked it back down while trying to stop the tremors that had taken over her body. Lord, have mercy on us! Somehow allow us to leave our bodies while this is happening!
Kash'ta had all he could do to steady his hormone-driven crew as the Healer made his checks of the females. Indeed, it was difficult to rein his own excitement in! Perhaps they needed something else to focus on he decided and ordered them to depart and place the ship back into the previously hidden orbital position behind the communication satellite. His second paused briefly after being given the order. I will replace him if his insubordination continues, he promised himself. The rest jumped to their stations and soon the ship was through the lower atmosphere and tucked-in behind the large cubic artificial device with its darkly shiny, outstretched, rectangular wings. They were again hidden from detection by the oomans and relaxed at their stations.
Once the Leader was certain that the ship was securely in orbit, he gave instruction to his Hunters. "Come with me, all of you. The Healer will inject each female to secure her readiness. Remember Brothers, these are ooman females and fragile. You must prepare them and wait until they are ready. Do not break them! If you damage one's ability to function or reproduce, the punishment will be severe. Do you understand?"
He stood blocking the doorway with one vast arm, glaring at his crew. "Sei," they grunted in unison.
"You will each go to the female that you procured on the planet. It matters not where you decide to rut, this is a small ship. Kylfa, stay! I would speak with you before you take your female."
Duncan had heard the clicking, trilling and growling language but could not turn her head to see how many there were or what was going on. She waited, her heart pounding in her chest, as several Hunters clumped by her. She heard the click of some of the metal restraints being loosened and the whimper of one of the women. "Steady!" she said loudly, "Don't look them in the eye, and be cooperative." Unknown to Duncan the neck restraints were being removed so the Healer could administer the sedistim directly into their necks.
Kash'ta looked at his female, realizing she was giving guidance to the others. Good, if they follow her order this will proceed much more easily. Turning to the younger Hunter, he placed his hand on Kylfa's sturdy shoulder in a brotherly manner, "Honorable Kylfa, I know that you have not rutted before. Have you at least studied?"
"Kylfa looked down in embarrassment, "No Brother. My Sire would not permit it until I had his approval. As you know, he had medication for me to suppress my needs. I have not taken it since I left his dwelling for the last time."
"I am concerned that in your eagerness you will injure your mate, would you consider watching how I deal with mine in order to learn how not to harm yours?"
"I am honored that you have such consideration for me, Honorable Kash'ta!"
Kylfa followed his leader to where Duncan was trussed to a metal table. He looked around to see that all of the others were removing their codpieces and cloths. Apparently no one was going to take their female back to the communal quarters or anywhere else on the small ship. That was certainly to his advantage, he concluded, as he would be able to observe many couplings, not just this one.
Kash'ta removed his female's metal neck restraint. He palmed her head, grasping her auburn hair with his great taloned fingers. She did not make any noise or try to fight, but held quite still as the Healer injected her tilted neck. Her eyes remained closed as the drug coursed through her system.
Duncan felt a sting when the medication entered her external jugular vein, and then warmth began to spread from her lower abdomen throughout her body. She held her eyes closed during the injection and afterwards as the effects began to take hold. She felt almost dizzy and the room was much too warm now. Then to her horror, a great sexual need began to form in her mind and her body responded as her lips grew pinker and the beginnings of desire rubbed at her juncture. The relaxant took over, allowing the great need overcame any ideas of disgust or fear. The only feelings were total relaxation and relief from any negative thoughts accompanied by the most powerful carnal want that Duncan had ever experienced. She felt juicy and ripe for the plucking without care for who the plucker would be.
The huge Hunter saw her body release its taut defensiveness and transform into pliant soft flesh begging for his attentions. He released the rest of her bonds and proceeded to slice the clothing from her body in order to reveal the now begging parts. He held his face near and huffed in her pleading scent that supplicated his body to plunder hers. Giant hands dragged down the length of her body, roughly stimulating the round breasts and their now erect rosy nubs.
Duncan's breasts felt on fire as the coarse scaly hands pulled her smooth softness along with them. She felt a hand drag onto her belly and press slightly into her, massaging in a soft slow round. Both hands dragged onto her thighs and yanked her body toward them until her legs were off the table, then decisively pulled them apart. She finally opened her eyes to focus on the complete physicality of the giant standing between her open legs, centering her vision on the swollen genitalia that was throbbing at her. The giant held the shaft and pressed it to her, rubbing into the moisture her traitorous body had already produced. He turned and rumbled something to the other standing beside him who watched her with such deep-set yellow eyes.
"Do you see how I have stimulated her to ensure her readiness, Kylfa? I know you scent her readiness, but also observe the moisture here," he moved a knuckle to the seam between her labia. "This signals that you may enter her. This female has been mated previously but only by her own kind. Remember to go slowly at this point and allow her to adapt to your larger girth. And be sure to only penetrate as far as you may easily go. More than that will injure or even kill your female. Understand?"
Young Kylfa grunted his wide-eyed comprehension and glanced about the room. Several of the crew were already engaged in rapid-fire rut. Groans and grunts were beginning to fill the space along with the whining mewls of the drugged females. All of a sudden, one of the women cried out harshly in a high-pitched agonized sound. Kash'ta growled to the Healer who reluctantly left his intended and was immediately at the site of the distressed cry. Kylfa saw him bash the Hunter away and as he fell the withdrawn organ revealed its red shaft, coated with the life fluid of the crying ooman female.
Duncan felt her possessor withdraw his coaxing hand and blearily watched as he speedily crossed the room to where another giant was getting up from the floor. Her giant spread his face and a room-jarring roar encompassed everything. The other dared roar back and was squarely hit in the face several times until the green glowing gunk she knew was blood was spilling from between his pointed teeth.
"Healer, is the female hurt?" an enraged Kash'ta growled out. Several of his Second's fangs had been loosened, and blood dripped from his maw onto the floor.
"She is badly bruised internally. The neck like protrusion that is the entrance to her womb has been damaged. She was not completely ready before he entered. She needs medication and rest, then I will see how the injury has left her. Such an unschooled pup! Was this your first time?" the Healer snarled at the bleeding Hunter.
"H'ko," he barked back, his verdant spittle trailing down his chin. "I was…too eager. It has been a long time."
"Go to your quarters!" Kash'ta ordered. "Your lack of restraint has cost you this mating, and possibly more! I will deal with you later!"
The now angry Second-in-command left and an irritated Kash'ta returned to his task. "I hope you learn from this, Kylfa."
"I have, Honorable Leader!" Kylfa watched as his mentor restimulated the female to ensure her readiness, and then carefully turned her over so that her posterior hung on the table in front of them.
"You may rut from either side - front or back," the Leader instructed the fascinated Hunter.
Duncan made a soft 'uh' sound as she was placed on her front with her legs hanging helplessly over the table's edge. She felt her hipbones bounced on the hard top edge and dimly thought, that's gonna leave a mark. Soon she felt the soft-hard head press and then begin to rub up and down against her before it entered with a shove. She responded by bracing her body for the next shove, and the next and the next.
With the sedistim helping her to relax, the sizeable phallus moved into her without protest, even though it was the largest natural or manufactured device that had ever penetrated the officer's femininity. Her artificial arousal had been overridden somewhat by the shear amazement that such an instrument had indeed been taken in by her body. My God, he's stretched me to the limit, she thought any more and I'm gonna tear. She waited for the expected injury but it did not come. Grateful for the lack of pain she sunk into the relaxant and waited out the inevitable.
Kylfa watched closely as his Leader began the rocking rhythm that would allow his seed to impregnate the female. He saw how the minor push was not strained or forced into the ooman's body, and the pull was just a small movement at first. As the female seemed to accept this motion, Kash'ta increased the size of the rocking until he was nearly exiting before he smoothly made his way back in. When this activity caused the female no distress, he then methodically increased the speed watching for any indication of discomfort.
To have such fullness move in and out of her soon became overwhelming for Duncan. She had not intended to enjoy this, but her body had other ideas. She found herself moaning with every movement as she began to clench down upon delightful strength, and without further thought gave herself over to unparalleled pleasure.
Kylfa again glanced about. The injured female had been given additional sedation and was sleeping on her platform, the Healer would see to her after his rut. Looking over at the Healer, Kylfa witnessed his female on her backside with legs splayed out and knees hooked over the Healer's foreams. He drove into her with surprising force as at the same time he pulled her body to him. He spread his mandibles and gave a long loud roar while he seeded his future generation into the willing woman who was gasping and making odd cries. She held very still as though surprised when he bent forward to seize her shoulder with his tusks, then just as quickly released her and rested leaning carefully over her body.
Then Kylfa saw the Healer withdraw the still erect organ from her, glistening with their mixed fluids. He suppressed a chortle when he realized the mechanics allowing the hammering rut he had just witnessed – the Healer was not greatly endowed by Paya. What he had in width, he lacked in length. The advantage being he can rut as fast and deep as he desires with no thought of harming his Bearer, reasoned Kylfa. Not a disadvantage in this situation as we do not mate our own kind.
I am half ooman! Kylfa quickly caught his mental blunder and recited the Leader's words to himself. We are not Yautja, nor are we ooman. We are both! When at last there are hybrid females, we WILL mate with our own kind! He turned his attention back to the sweating, grunting Hunter in front of him who was raising his head and about to splay his face in ecstasy. Kylfa felt pumped and primed to attend to his own female.
If Officer Duncan had been in her right mind, she would have been embarrassed and appalled. She was fortunately not in her right mind and so did not pass judgment on the whining emitted as she was now completely drowning in the experience. Her skin glowed with perspiration as she moved herself onto the huge phallus in deliberate teamwork with its two-dimensional dance. New arousal suddenly grasped her and fresh moisture seeped to ease the tension between fine scales and soft mucosa. The first wave of release broke from her and rapidly overtook her senses as the universe turned into the clasping of pleasure upon the pressing, moving god of all that was hard and holy.
Their mutual apex was crowned by the blast that ripped through the tail end of the ship. The deafening explosion and blinding flare were chorused by the blare of emergency bleats and lights coming from the vessel's systems. The crew immediately responded and rushed to the helm, leaving the unbound and still drugged females behind in order to save their transport.
The situation was grim. A missile had been fired from the planet below and had disintegrated the aft of the ship. Kash'ta had no time to figure how they had been spotted. He ordered several doorways sealed to prevent any more atmosphere loss but there was no way to handle the metal beast that had now been knocked away from the satellite by the explosion. The Yautja bird tumbled end over broken end as it rounded the globe in a disintegrating orbit. They were going down, and there was nothing to be done about it.
"Are the drop ships intact?" Kash'ta asked of his Second who had rushed from his quarters when the disaster struck.
"Sei! Some are"
"How many?"
"There are enough for each of us."
"Each of us and our females," Kash'ta reprimanded. "The oomans are small. We can each carry ours inside. We must chance they will survive the drop if we hold them. If they are allowed to stand as we do, their small legs will break on impact. Perhaps our legs and body will absorb enough of the shock to keep them intact."
"How will we balance ourselves for landing if we carry them?" asked the second.
"Only with the strength of our legs and our center. Our arms must support and protect them. Do you fear getting bounced around a bit?" Kash'ta said sarcastically.
"I fear nothing," the Second growled back.
The Hunters hurried back to the room where their females still laid as the sedistim was beginning to wear off. Seizing them, they rushed to the drop ships and stood inside as the doors automatically closed and the ship's computer took over the timing for proper firing and trajectory. The ship would also decide on the landing site by searching its database of the Blue Planet and factoids regarding each coordinates' suitability to sustain Hunters while providing avoidance of detection.
Duncan clutched at her Hunter as he carried her into the claustrophobic cylinder. It was obvious that the spaceship was in serious trouble and these were apparently some sort of lifeboats for emergency escape. She had no clue that these were the normal ship to surface transports used on a hunt.
The transport's drop bays opened and five tubular drop ships fell out, one at a time, and then shushed to life as their rudimentary guidance mechanisms became operational. The pods hurtled downward with only slight hindrance from onboard retro thrusters to keep the speed slow enough to survive. Inside each of the tubes stood a Yautja Hunter, naked from the waist down, holding a terrified human female as his legs bent in anticipation of the jolt to come.
Kash'ta stood ready on the balls of his feet with his legs spread wide so that the outsides banked the ship walls. Thus crouched he tried to focus on his center, intending to maintain his balance and avoid crushing his female during the abrupt stop. He noticed that she seemed fairly alert and held to him firmly but without tension in her body. She was trying to stay loose and trust in his ability to balance them both. Any stiffness from her would make his job that much more difficult.
Strong arms cradled her inside the tube and Duncan felt the Hunter position himself. Willing herself to relax she tried to give herself over to the last of the wearing-off sedation. She knew the Yautja were incredibly tough, and regularly used these craft that sent them hurdling to the Earth below at blistering speeds too fast for any human to survive the landing. The ship's needle-nose would plough into snow, ice, dirt, gravel – anything short of bedrock.
Duncan's stomach tried to exit through her throat as she felt the little ship drop out of the transport craft. She was weightless, but the Hunter held on to her. She didn't know what was keeping his feet on the floor. It was as though the world's highest rollercoaster had begun its highest drop except that it seemed to go on forever. She couldn't help but tense her body as she waited to hit something. A soft rumble reached her ear, "Relax, ooman. I keep you safe."
She felt the tube rattle as it hit the first layers of atmosphere and the g-forces that had become palpable began a rapid, uncomfortable increase as she felt melded to the Yautja's arms and chest. The tube vibrated rapidly as she tried to control her fear. They use these ships all the time. They are designed for this kind of entry.
The group of tubes went plummeting down to the surface, tracked by human radar until they became too close to the ground to register. The ships were coming down in a cluster, so it would not be difficult to ascertain where they had landed by continuing their trajectory to ground level. Then, special-forces teams could be sent in to deal with them.
Technically, they were supposed to contact the Yautja regarding any unknown ships, but this one had been hiding behind a satellite. It had not identified itself to Earth for direction on where to land, in fact no one had witnessed it first approach to or subsequent leaving of the planet. It had only been spotted as an odd shadow that added an unknown shape to an orbiting communications satellite and triggered an automatic security alert. Pictures had been taken and studied until it was realized that the tail of a Yautja ship was projecting from one end. Whoever had positioned the ship had been a little careless. This anomaly was not lost on the human analysts. The Hunters were not known for any lack of attention to detail. Whoever was piloting this ship was either inexperienced or perhaps unwell. To the humans this signaled either very young Hunters or Badbloods, or both. The humans' leaders met to discuss whether to alert the Yautja to this situation, or deal with the Hunters themselves. Dominated Earth was ever on guard for any opportunity to rebel, no matter how small, and give their conquerors a reminder that humans were still formidable.
One by one, the drop ships hit the beach at an angle sending great sprays of pale sand into the night air. The cratering impacts jarred the crabs and lizards on the beach sending them scuttling towards the sea or the nearby forest of trees. The ejected sand settled around the edge of each crater and beyond, as steam arose from the hot metal buried in the wet sand.
The hatch on the side of each tube gave a small whoosh as it opened, the moonshine illuminating great dark shapes slowly emerging, many of them carrying smaller figures which did not appear to move.
Kash'ta set Duncan on her feet. She still hung on him ensuring her balance. The landing had nearly jarred her fillings loose, in spite of the Hunter's legs taking the brunt of the blow for her. He had masterfully kept his balance in the tilted ship until just after the impact when he fell backward and she heard the smack of his shoulder blades as the back of his lock-cushioned cranium hit the hard metal side. She involuntarily cringed for him, but he used his elbows to push off from the wall and shook his head a bit. Then, he carried her from the ship.
She knew they must have landed back on Earth. The ship had gone down soon after take-off, she did not believe enough time had elapsed for them to be anywhere else, but she was not completely certain. Looking out over the dark waves she saw the familiar shadows on the face of the nearly full moon and couldn't hide her joy. It filled her with relief to be back on the old familiar terra firma. But where? Where on Earth were they? She looked the other way and saw only a narrow strip of beach with a sudden stop at the base of very strange looking small trees. The moon was familiar, but the trees looked alien. They had great thin root systems which started high up on their trunks and then arched down into the sand below. And there were so many of them! The forest appeared so thick that it seemed impenetrable.
The large Hunter looked down at her and saw she was looking around, did she know this place? He gave a grunt to gain her attention. "Come" he ordered her. He needed to go check on his crew and their females, and she might be of some help. He was grateful when she fell in behind him and did not protest or run.
He went first to the Healer who was scanning his female for any injury. Finding none he turned to his Leader, "I will see to the others immediately." He made for the others, scanner in hand. Kash'ta and his mate followed him with the Healer's mate falling in with Duncan.
Duncan felt a small hand grasp at her arm. She smiled at the woman walking beside her and took stock. The Healer's mate was a thin young woman with long blonde braided hair. She whispered to Duncan, "Thanks for helping us. I'm …"
Both Hunters whirled on the women and opened their mandibles in ominous threat. The women stopped cold in their tracks and Duncan grabbed her new friend's hand. Turning quickly to the woman, she held a finger to her lips. The blonde nodded in understanding and the party continued in silence.
All of the Hunters had emerged unscathed from the landings, but the same could not be said for their mates. One was nursing a large bump on her forehead received when her Hunter had lost balance and crashed her head into the ship side. Fortunately, he had not had his full weight behind the impact. She was bruised and had a headache, but it would easily heal.
The Second's female was laid out unconscious on the sand. Her Hunter stood over her, poking with a finger trying to rouse her. The Healer ran his scans beginning with her injured abdominal area then ran up to her head. "Her skull is fractured," he pronounced sadly, "she will not live. There is bruising and bleeding inside her head."
Kash'ta growled out to the Hunter, "What happened?" He stood challenging his Second with narrowed eyes. The Second was a young but mature Hunter, he should have been able to keep good balance during the landing. "Tell me what happened," Kash'ta growled again, "on your Honor."
The Second looked down at the still woman, only her declining warmth and the slight rise and fall of her chest betraying life. He looked up, growling back at his Leader. "The landing was rough, I was jostled and she must have hit her head."
"Does her condition support this, Healer?" the Leader asked, never taking his eyes from their target.
The Healer reset something and scanned again. "It does, Honorable Kash'ta. Her injuries are consistent with his story."
The Second clicked his distaste in having his word questioned by the Leader. A gap of trust was opening up between them. He knew that eventually he would have to leave, or challenge Kash'ta for leadership of the new Clan.
The Healer removed something from his kit, "Do you want her suffering ended?"
"Sei, then dissolve the body."
While the Hunters were talking, Duncan and the blonde bent over the comatose woman. Duncan saw she was breathing and felt for the carotid pulse. She saw the matted blood in the scalp and gingerly began feeling around with her fingers. Minute movement of the skull bones greeted her inspection. "She is in bad shape," Duncan pronounced to the blonde woman. They both stood and turned to the Yautja who were still conversing while the Healer fumbled in a bag for something.
"Come!" barked Kash'ta to Duncan.
She looked at him with questioning eyes, "Can you help her?"
"No," he grunted, "Come!"
"Can't or won't?" she boldly questioned.
The Hunter cocked his head slightly, trying to figure out what she had said.
Duncan repeated her request slowly, "Can not or will not?"
Here is a brave one, he thought. "Can not. Come! Now!" He pulled her along by her arm, leaving the Healer and the blonde to send the injured woman on her cosmic way. Duncan worked hard to keep up with the Hunter and after a few yards of walking heard sobbing behind her. The group was now short a female. She wondered if they would try to procure another or if there would be competition among the males for the remaining ones.
Soon the party had gathered together, the dead female had been disposed of and they were ready to set out. It was a strange scene, mostly nude Hunters and bare human females making their way along the sand in the black of night. They were not far away when a strange hissing electrical noise caused Duncan to turn and look behind her. The drop ships were surrounded by strange blue liquid electricity that snapped and crackled around them. All of a sudden, the blue light shrunk in on itself taking the ships with it and went into nothingness. An impatient tug at her arm made her turn around and resume her place behind the Hunter as he set out following the beach.
Soon they came to a place where a river parted the short branchy trees and dumped itself into the sea. The sun was not up, but light was beginning to illuminate the density of the trees. The Hunters went to the river and one took a sample of the water in his hand and ran his wrist com over it. He growled and let the salt water spill from his palm. The ocean mixed with the river at this point. It would be some ways upstream before it was completely fresh. Without a word, the Yautja plunged into the forest growing along the riverbed, wading in the shallow water there. They agilely worked around the cobweb of prominent roots as their human partners tried to negotiate the wooden obstacles. As they trudged along, taller trees began to show up buttressed by larger root systems that the women had to wiggle themselves through. It soon became obvious that the females couldn't keep up.
With a grunt from Kash'ta each Hunter was about to grab his mate and swing her up onto his back when the Second was pulled off-balance down into the water. He let out an earsplitting bellow of surprise and pain as his body was rolled over and over in the river. Then a high-pitched scream cut the air like a knife and all turned in its direction. Thrashing water was all that was evident of one of the females. The remaining Hunters grabbed their females and took to the safety of the trees, then looked down at the battle scene below.
The water was teeming with saltwater crocodiles. Several were feasting upon the downed woman, but the Second was giving a large one a valiant fight. It had him by the lower leg and was trying to drag him into deeper water to drown. The Hunter had bent forward and was plunging a blade into the reptile's brain case. It took a mighty blow as the bone was thick and strong. The point went home and the eighteen foot, thousand pound monster released his nearly severed leg. He tried to limp towards the group as the other crocs turned on the dead one, but there were many opportunistic mouths that scented the blood perfume drifting through the estuary. The Second was soon entangled with another set of steel trap jaws that crushed the knee of his already injured leg. He stabbed at the head connecting the point of his blow with the brain and providing yet another feast for the churning waters.
Bleeding profusely and in immense pain, the Hunter turned to meet other oncoming predators. He met them blade to tooth as using his shoulder cannon would have been dishonorable. Within minutes, four more crocodiles drifted lifelessly as their bodies were torn at by the living. All predators now seemed focused on eating their dead, so the Second dragged his wounded body to the nearest tree and pulled himself up using only upper body strength. On a thick branch he rested, dripping the essence of his life down the bark and into the water.
Kash'ta considered the situation. The Hunter had fought honorably and bravely, but he was seriously injured. He was also on the other side of the river mouth from the rest of the party. The river was too wide to swing from any branch and obtain the other side. The Second was on his own, without benefit of the Healer. He had his personal med kit, and could at least cauterize his wounds.
Kash'ta called to him, "Stop your wounds, rest and recover. We leave a trail for you to follow us for three cycles." The Hunter nodded in understanding. He had three Earth days to heal and catch up with them. After that, there would be no trail to follow.
The Hunters turned their backs to the remaining females and squatted. The females looked baffled until Duncan yelled to them, "Mount up! They are going to carry us." Soon the women were all riding piggyback style on fierce Yautja males who clambered branch to branch through the trees. The lone riderless male took point for the group as they now made better time through the dense forest. Duncan had fairly long legs, so the position was not too uncomfortable for her. She pitied the short-legged women among them as the backs they were pressed to were broad and none of them were long enough in the torso to hook their legs around the Hunters' waists. After a time, even her legs ached and she grumbled to her steed, "Can we take a break?"
The large black-rope decorated head turned back a bit to her in silent question. "Stop?" she asked. The man-lizard immediately came to a halt and let her slide down his back onto a limb. Her legs ached and were nearly frozen in position. She hung on to him for balance and moved each one as she tried to recover.
The other Hunters also stopped and released their riders who were in the same state as Duncan. She spoke to the others, "Does anybody besides me need to pee?" Several raised their hands. She turned to Kash'ta and said, "We need to pee, please stay here." Then turned and began to climb away followed by the others. A low growl stopped her. Turning back to Kash'ta with an exasperated look on her face, she realized he didn't understand. "Sorry girls, we gotta drop trow right here."
With a smirk on her face for her Hunter, she faced him and dramatically unfastened her pants. She pulled them down still clinging to a branch, followed by her underwear and then squatted being careful to pull her clothing out in front away from the rampant stream that was emerging. The others followed her actions and soon the group of Yautja was engaged in watching bare-bottomed human women pee thunderous streams to the forest floor below. The ladies arose and returned their clothing to proper placement with as much dignity as possible.
Kash'ta growled out orders to his Clan then turned to Duncan. "Rest now. You tell others." She did as she was told and then found the Hunter's huge arm around her as she was carried even higher up into the very large tree. She was surprised at his first leap and nearly yelped but caught herself and tried to relax and let herself be toted. He stopped at a sturdy wide crotch and placed her on the limb, ordering her to stay.
And where would I go from here? She rested in the tree looking out trying to see any of the others through the thick canopy. Her Hunter soon returned pulling her up to his body again and, to her horror, leaped from the tree to another one. He caught himself effortlessly on the target branch and climbed out to where he had prepared a strong nest woven in the branches and softened with leathery leaves for them. He laid her down upon it and joined her there. Closing his eyes he rumbled, "Rest."
As much as she tried, Duncan could not find sleep. She watched the forest grow visible as light dawned as she listened to the calls of strange birds and brushed the occasional crawly feeling from her arms, legs or face. Kash'ta was becoming annoyed with her movements which were rousing him. He gave a soft grumble and placed a hand upon her. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I can not sleep. What if I turn and fall?"
The Hunter understood a few of her words and she felt the huge arm reach across and pull her to his body. Then it remained and she understood. He would keep her from harm. She tried again to doze off unsuccessfully, too hyped up from events to find rest. So she tried to stay motionless to let the Hunter sleep, but he knew from her breathing that she was still awake and her disobedience taxed him. He took his arm from her and pressed a place in the med kit he carried, and then measured out just a tiny dose.
Duncan watched, horrifically fascinated by the unknown intricacies of his medieval looking medical devices. The odd looking goo he was retracting into a smallish needled tube almost glowed in the light. Smallish needle – maybe for a Yautja, she decided. In reality it was the size one might expect to use on cattle, only shorter. She didn't realize it, but the devices and medication were from a Yautja veterinary kit, designed to assist in managing live-captured prey.
His other arm came up behind her and Duncan gasped when her hair was once again seized and her head tilted to expose her neck. The hard jab made her wince and then there was nothing.
Kash'ta clicked in satisfaction as his female slumped her head back down onto their nest. He watched for a time to make sure her breathing was within normal limits and then, satisfied that he had not overdosed her, he relaxed into sleep. His protective arm was still around her in case she stirred.
The rest of the day passed without incident and the Hunter awakened just as the sun's last gleam dipped below the horizon. His arm felt stiff from guarding the female while he slept and he moved and flexed it restoring smooth motion before he got to his feet. The female had not awakened to his movement. She lay on her back with her mouth slightly open. Kash'ta watched her and wondered at the sound coming from it every time she exhaled. Was she ill? He continued watching until her sudden loud snort caused her eyes to fly open.
The first thing Duncan was aware of was the branches above her silhouetted against the darkening sky. Not recognizing where she was she made to turn over when a large foot stopped her, "No fall," the deep rumble said. With that the memory of her adventures in Hunterland came back to her. Slowly she sat up and got to her feet. She felt wobbly upon the sticks making up the springy nest and grabbed a nearby limb to steady her legs.
Looking out upon the sunset colored tree tops she realized just how high up they were and that they seemed to have come inland from the river. The Hunter's rough voice came again, "Up!" he commanded, holding out a clawed paw to her. Ridin' time again, she thought, taking his hand and letting herself be swung over his shoulder onto his back. Descending effortlessly down the tree he jumped the last ten feet or so and Duncan received the jolt of his landing which nearly unseated her from his torso. He felt her slip and immediately crouched to let her slide unhurt to the inches deep water and bed of mud that made up the ground.
The Hunters' had filled containers with water from the river. The tide was out and only fresh water now flowed through the waterway and washed the roots of the thirsty trees. The females were given a few drinks before they clambered back up on their Hunters who now set out walking an incline. The branch-rooted trees thinned out and were replaced by other trees that looked more normal to Duncan. They were extremely tall and completely shaded the ground below. Deadfall and some undergrowth sometimes blocked their way, but the agile Hunters had no problem continuing their trek.
Showing mercy to their cargo, they allowed stops for the women to rest their strained legs, walk around a bit and toilet from time to time. The Hunters also needed to relieve themselves and did so without the least sign of needing to hide anything. Most of the women turned away in polite embarrassment, but Duncan decided to see what she could see. She quickly decided that she would greatly pity a constipated Yautja.
It was mid-day during another stop that Duncan spoke to Kash'ta, "We can walk now, you know."
Looking curiously at her, he replied, "Too slow." Duncan pulled herself up to her full height and announced, "Then I will run. I do not want to be carried right now." She set her blue eyes straight into the Hunter's brown ones and waited for his answer.
He did not answer her challenge, but instead called the end of the break and proceeded to walk off without offering his back to her. Delighted, she jogged along behind him as he struck a healthy pace. One of the other women called to her, "How did you get him to let you walk?"
"Can't walk," she cheerfully called back, "have to jog to keep up with him. I just asked." Duncan ran along until the ground became steeper. It was a nearly vertical rise that she struggled to climb behind the relentless footfalls of the Hunter leading her. He was a machine on the slope, never faltering, never stopping for breath.
The other Hunters passed her as she determinedly labored to put one foot in front of the other. Soon, they were out of sight through the dense tropical night-time jungle in front of her. She could barely see, there was no way she could follow where even their careful feet had disturbed the forest floor. Dropping down to rest where she was she knew that at least she would be able to follow their path in the morning.
A clicking sound brought her back to her tired feet. "Up now?" the familiar rough rumble same to her through the darkness.
"Yes, please," she tiredly replied.
A wide back was soon before her and she moved to take her place as strong arms clasped her legs. It was a short ride in utter blackness to where the group had again made tree nests to spend the sunlit hours. Her breath left her as, without warning, the strong steed leaped up a trunk and she clung for dear life as the mobile back moved under her. Soon she was unceremoniously dumped into a leafy nest and found the familiar large warm at her side and arm wrapped around her. He moved close to huff her sweaty scent and softly trilled to her. She was hoping he wouldn't want to try the woven branches and vines by mating when, completely exhausted, sleep found her.
